Survodutide vs Follistatin
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
GLP-1 / Weight Loss Agonists
SurvodutideAnabolic & IGF
Follistatin- Summary
- Survodutide is a once-weekly GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist developed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma. Phase 2 trials demonstrated up to 18.7% body weight reduction at 46 weeks, among the highest reported for a dual agonist. It is being studied for obesity and MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis), where the glucagon component drives hepatic fat clearance.
- Follistatin is an endogenous glycoprotein that acts as a potent inhibitor of myostatin and activin, two proteins that limit muscle growth. By binding and neutralizing myostatin, follistatin removes the primary brake on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, enabling significant muscle growth beyond normal physiological limits. It is distinct from its isoforms Follistatin 315 and Follistatin 344 in tissue distribution and binding affinity.
- Half-Life
- ~7 days
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- Admin Route
- SubQ
- IM, SubQ
- Research
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- —
- Typical Dose
- 0.6 mg → 2.4 mg → 4.8 mg → 6 mg
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- Frequency
- Once weekly
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Key Benefits
- Up to 18.7% body weight reduction at 46 weeks (Phase 2)
- Strong MASH activity — Phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE-NASH trials ongoing
- Reduces hepatic fat content via glucagon receptor-driven liver oxidation
- Once-weekly subcutaneous injection
- Greater weight loss potential than GLP-1 monotherapy
- Improvements in liver fibrosis markers in early data
- Potent myostatin inhibition enabling supraphysiological muscle growth
- Increases skeletal muscle mass and fiber size
- May accelerate recovery from muscle injury
- Potential benefits in muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia
- Synergistic with IGF-1 and growth hormone in anabolic protocols
- Animal studies show dramatic increases in muscle mass
- Reduces muscle fibrosis in dystrophic models
- Side Effects
- Nausea (most common during titration)
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Decreased appetite
- +3 more
- Potential for excessive muscle growth if doses are not controlled
- FSH suppression with implications for fertility in women
- Theoretical risk of cardiac hypertrophy with prolonged high-dose use
- Limited human safety data available
- +1 more
- Stacks With
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